What did Park Joo-bong say about the medal target for Korea’s badminton team at the Asian Games?

Park said he had only just heard about the target and would be thrilled if the team met it. He said the players should focus on playing their best badminton instead of chasing medal numbers.

Why does Park Joo-bong want his badminton athletes to avoid focusing on medal numbers?

He said public medal targets create more pressure on athletes. His view is that if players perform to the best of their abilities, good results will naturally follow, and pressure can be turned into confidence by treating the event like a regular international competition.

How did Korea’s badminton team perform at the previous Asian Games before this month’s event?

Korea finished the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games with two gold medals, two silver medals and three bronze medals. Park said the team will try to at least match that success after being shut out of medals at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games.

Badminton coach trying to lift pressure off athletes ahead of Asian Games

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Summary

Park Joo-bong said Tuesday in Jincheon that he will try to lift pressure off the Korean national badminton team ahead of this month’s Asian Games. He reacted after learning the Badminton Korea Association had set a target of three golds, one silver and two bronzes. Park urged players to focus on their best badminton rather than medal numbers.

Key Facts

The Badminton Korea Association submitted a target of three gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee.
The gold-medal target is one short of Korea’s all-time Asian Games record set at the 2002 Busan Games.
Korea won two gold medals, two silver medals and three bronze medals at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
Park Joo-bong has won eight medals in three Asian Games appearances, along with five world titles and two Olympic medals.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 8, 2026 3:57 pm KST

Park Joo-bong, head coach of the Korean national badminton team, speaks to reporters during a press conference for the 2026 Asian Games at Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, Tuesday. Yonhap

JINCHEON — Park Joo-bong, head coach of the Korean national badminton team competing at this month's Asian Games, said Tuesday he will try his best to lift pressure off his athletes.

He emphasized that point after belatedly learning about the medal target submitted by the Badminton Korea Association (BKA) to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee.

The BKA said the national team will try to bring home three gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals from the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games — with the gold medal total being one shy of the country's all-time record set on home soil at the 2002 Asiad in Busan.

"Well, this is the first time I am hearing about those numbers," Park said with a smile during the national team press conference at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, 85 kilometers south of Seoul. "I would be thrilled if we do meet these numbers. We performed so well at the last Asian Games and we will try to at least match that success."

Korea grabbed two gold medals, two silver medals and three bronze medals at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, finishing behind only China in both the gold medal count and the total medal tally. It was an unqualified success for Korea after it was shut out of medals at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

Park insisted he did not want his athletes to get caught up in numbers.

"The primary goal is to help my players perform to the best of their abilities," the coach said. "If they can do that, then good results will naturally follow. When these medal numbers are out there for all to see, then it will only put more pressure on them. So I want them to focus on playing their best badminton and not chase numbers."

As a veritable badminton legend with eight medals in his three Asian Games appearances, along with five world titles and two Olympic medals, Park knows a thing or two about handling pressure. And he said he understands the Asian Games for badminton players may not be all that different from the Olympic Games, as far as the level of pressure and the quality of opponents, because most of the top players hail from Asia.

His advice to his athletes this time is to look at the Asian Games as just another event.

"This is such a major competition but based on my experience, it will help ease pressure on them if they approach it as a regular international event, not the Asian Games," Park said. "I also think it will benefit athletes if they go back and watch highlights of their best matches. This will help turn pressure into confidence."

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